The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-03-12


The member from the West, after puff
or two at his cigar. tilted mis- chair back
wards and said, apropos of the filings 1T
Georges profession:
"You are perhaps not aware that was
once In the newspaper field myself---n
"All truly great mon have started in that
way" interrupted the representative OF the
profession
"But those who are not truly great con-
tnuc where they start" suggested Gus,
with pointedness that caused George to
subside for spell.
~ had several years of newspaper work"
continued the member, "and count them
wcll spent years. | would not willingly
give up the experience of those years-the
experience gained from observation, not
only of the lives of other people that came
under my observation, but my own personal
experience, when was breaking my way
into journalism, not as men come into II
nowadays, when il has become less Bohe-
miar and perhaps more respectable with a
bow to George,. but connecting for n foot
ing with some Of tho brightest though at
the same time tho most rccl,less. in their
personol habits and deaiinua NJ Tho voin1
men OF the dav.
s.Journalism was not then what it has
since become-a business. There was some
individuality nbout the worl. nj newspaper
writers. and the ranks of the nrofe.sion
were filled with mon NJ whom the race
seems to have almost died ont. TODAY.
YOUR newspaper men arc a hard .vor,,ino.
industrious class. men of standing mon of
responsib;litv md metbod;caI h.hit Tben
thcy were free and cav iollv' reclr,ess
set. who would mate monev easijv and
spend IL inst as easily. mon who wonld
work by smells and make n litt,e mopev and
then quit. and like the sailor ashore before
tho day of Bethels. spend It lavishly while
IL lasted.
"Circumstances threw me. earlv in ufe
among newsnanor worLera and tha f,..;'
nation which tho profession cast over those
who adopt IL early threw its smell about mo
An opportunitv offered to take n Mace in a
city some distance from NV home an tho
staff of n RECENTLY cstnblishod daily ono of
those concerns which. twenty vcars 400.
were as numerous as now. that spring nm in
a day, flourish for a few weeks on the hest
work of the brightest unattached writers
in the community in which thew are started
and fail through before thev have reache5
a half hundred issues. Soon 7 became a
regular Bohemian. living from hand tn
mouth. as the majority of newspaper writ
ers (sspacemenn thew were nearly all of
them in those days.) were then doing. hut
only to find myself. with half a dozen others.
at the end of six wceks creditors of n do.
funct institution, that in diving had left no
assets upon which we could levy
GAS the newspaper had never Maid tho
writers who made it. except in PROMISES.
when it last gave I'M the phost 7 Ind cx'
haustcd about all nv resources and not n
great while afterwards tho sher;ff leviod IN
out n cent and nothing in prosncct
..Imagine IL Won can INV nosition, wa.
comparatiyelv stranger in tho citv. and
had made but few friends and even from
these, constituencies or pride. 7 can hardly
tell which. induced me to keen INV wants n
secret. Though l yainly sought employ.
ment day after day, no one knew in what
desperate straits was.
II had a quiet room in an obscure mart of
the town, and there night after night I
labored to produce something that would
be accented and paid for nv the ne,vsnaners
But I always met with tho same rcbuff:
we have more moro matter than we can
use,
cat length there came q dav when nv
last cent was expended in the purchase Of
a frugal meal at a cheap restaurant. On
the morrow had nothing to eat but kept
up courage all through the day and reso-
litely made the accustomed rounds Of the
offices with the usual luck. At night. faint
with hunger, l crept back to nv lodgings.
feeling more solitary and friendless than
any mariner cast away on a desert island.
and gloomily enough, assure YOU, I went
to bed and dreamed of sitting at a feast. but
without the power to touch an article of
food.
'"Thc second day came and wandered
aimlessly through the long and weary hours
of daylight with the lf-formed hone that
perhaps some thing would somehow turn
up before night. But, as might have been
expected, nothing did turn up. and faint
with torty-eight hours want OF food and
with desperate thoughts burning in INV
brain, I once more sought INV lod ginps long
after midnight.
'vThs third morning dawned and broke
into day and wore on into night. but kent
nv room, too faint with hunger TO move
about After dark. which came carlv for
il was in November. crept down tho stairs
and out into the streets. Where I went
that night l have not the faintest idea
There is in nv mind q confused. horrible
recollection of trudgiug up and down. mast
more than one provision store where food
was 6isnlaved. hopinp for. don't Lno,y
what. favorable opportunity that might
occur which would enable me to procure
somethino to eat.
sFamished though I was. had not the
courace to bep. People tai,x of conrnge
usually in connection with some heroic
deed. out tell YOU IL takes much greater
COURAGE than nossess. and have heen in
scenes of physical danger without KNOWING
fear. for one of nv disposition IN hoo
"But, one by one the lights went out the